Saving Seafood

Red tide could wipe out a generation of stone crabs

May 28, 2019 — Red tide algae can take a toll on the future of the stone crab industry, Mote Marine Laboratory researchers discovered.

Intense concentrations of the toxic red algae potentially can wipe out a generation of stone crabs, Mote scientists reported this week.

The loss could be cataclysmic to Florida’s seafood industry. The health of stone crabs is commercially valuable to the health of Florida’s economy.

More than 105 million pounds of stone crabs were harvested between 1996-2016 and is ranked fifth by the National Marine Fisheries Service among the commercially harvested Florida seafood. Pink shrimp ranks number one. Nationwide, Florida’s seafood industry ranked 11th in the United States, producing more than 87 million pounds of seafood harvested in 2016 and with a dockside value of $237 million, Marine Fisheries reported.

Mote scientists are trying to help figure out why the stone crab catch in Southwest Florida has seen a 25 percent decrease since 2000, and trying to determine the influence of red tide could be a key.

High concentrations of Florida red tide — Karenia brevis — caused 100 percent mortality in stone crab larvae in a four-day study, Mote reported in a press release. Medium concentrations had a 30 percent mortality rate, and many of the surviving larvae had impaired swimming behavior.

Read the full story at the Englewood Sun

FLORIDA: Emerald Coast Open Ends With Record-Breaking Numbers

May 23, 2019 — This year’s Emerald Coast Open was a record-breaker with nearly 20,000 lionfish removed from the water in Okaloosa County.

The annual fishing tournament aims to reduce the number of lionfish from the Gulf of Mexico where they pose a threat to native marine life.

During the pre-tournament competition, which began Feb.1, lionfish hunters removed 5,048 of the invasive species.  Another 14,119 were removed during the main event last weekend, bringing the grand total to 19,167. The tournament had a total of 189 individual hunters from across the United States and Caribbean.

“Last year’s total was 9,000,” said Brady Hale, marketing coordinator for the Emerald Coast Open. “We had a big jump in numbers and we almost doubled in participation.”

The winning team, Florida Man, finished the tournament with 2,241 lionfish earning the $10,000 grand prize. Captain Josh Livingston said he had been hunting lionfish for the past five years. He’s also working with the University of Florida on deploying lionfish traps in the Gulf.

“There’s a lot of prep work — understanding where the fish are at, looking for trends and creating a solid game plan,” he explained.

While there were cash prizes at stake, lionfish removal is more about conservation than competition. For the past 30 years, the non-native species have invaded the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean reducing fish populations at a rapid rate.

“They can eat 30 to 40 fish per hour, they’re prolific breeders and they have no predators…it’s a trifecta of bad,” Hale said.

Another concern is the local commercial and recreational fishing industry, especially in Destin which has the largest commercial fishing fleet in the state.

“There are hundreds of boats that go out — one lionfish can really take out a population of fish,” Hale said. “In the early 2000s, the Bahamas lost up to 80% of fish diversity (to lionfish). People aren’t going to come here and pay to fish red snapper if there’s none left.”

Read the full story at WUWF

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Seeks Applicants for Executive Director

May 20, 2019 — The following was published by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, headquartered in North Charleston, S.C., is responsible for the conservation and management of fish stocks within the federal 200-mile limit of the Atlantic off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and east Florida to Key West. The Council is responsible for Coastal Migratory Pelagics from New York to Florida and for Dolphin/Wahoo from Maine to Florida.

The Executive Director serves as the chief executive offer of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and is responsible for managing all administrative and technical aspects of Council operations.

For additional information including primary duties and responsibilities, knowledge, ability and skill requirements, and other details about the position, please visit the Council’s website at http://safmc.net/announcements/safmc-recruitment-announcement-executive-director/. Questions may be sent to Kelly Klasnick, Administrative Officer, at kelly.klasnick@safmc.net or by calling the Council office at 843/763-1050.

FLORIDA: Lionfish are still a problem, and FWC will give you a reward to remove them

May 17, 2019 — Lurking below off of Florida’s coast is the lionfish, a species that is both appetizing and intrusive, and wildlife officials want to remove as many of them as possible.

The lionfish is not native to the Sunshine State and are categorized as an invasion species that negatively impacts Florida’s native species. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is encouraging divers, anglers and commercial harvesters to help remove them from Florida’s waters.

Starting Saturday, May 18, FWC will reward those who catch lionfish with harvesting gear or cash prizes. The Lionfish Challenge ends on September 2. Those who submit 25 lionfish or 25 pounds of lionfish can qualify for prizes.

Read the full story at Fox 13

Mark Your Calendar – SAFMC Meeting June 10-14, 2019 in Stuart, FL

May 16, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold their next meeting June 10-14, 2019 at the Marriott Hutchinson Island, 555 N.E. Ocean Boulevard, Stuart, FL, 34996. The meeting week begins with a series of committee meetings and concludes with a meeting of the Full Council.

An informal Public Discussion Session will be held on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. and a formal public comment session will be held on Wednesday, June 12th beginning at 4:00 PM. For-Hire Electronic Reporting Training Sessions are also scheduled, dependent upon the publication of the final rule implementing the reporting requirement. An online comment form will be available for written comments, and the meeting will be available via webinar as it occurs. A Saltonstall-Kennedy (S/K) Grant Program discussion will be held on Tuesday, June 11th and Wednesday, June 12th beginning at 5:00 p.m.; public input will be accepted.

Agenda Highlights:

  • Red Snapper – The Snapper Grouper Committee will discuss alternatives for modifying the start dates, days of the week, and minimum number of fishing days required for opening the red snapper seasons. The Council is scheduled to approve Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment for public hearings.
  • Best Fishing Practices and Use of Powerhead Gear – The Snapper Grouper Committee will continue to discuss proposed requirements for the use of descending devices, venting tools, and circle hooks, as well as changes to restrictions on powerhead gear.
  • Dolphin Wahoo – The committee will continue to discuss management options for both dolphin and wahoo to include in draft Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan.
  • Allocations – The Council will meet as a Committee of the Whole to begin discussions of allocations between recreational and commercial sectors.
  • King Mackerel – The Council will consider an increase in the Atlantic king mackerel commercial trip limit through emergency action.

Additional Information:

Additional meeting information will be available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/ as it becomes available. Briefing book materials, including the meeting agenda, committee agendas/overviews, and the public comment form will be available on May 24, 2019.

FLORIDA: Stone crabbers experienced crustacean frustration this season. They say red tide is to blame

May 16, 2019 — The stone crab harvest was down this year — way down — and local crabbers say it was because of red tide.

With Wednesday marking the final day of harvest for the 2018-19 season, several Cortez crabbers left their boats tied up at the dock, rather than scouting for the hard-to-find crustaceans.

“It’s been a very slow year,” said Brian Ibasfalean, production manager for A.P. Bell Fish Company Inc. “The boats are way off. (Tuesday), it was about 15 pounds of stone crab. (Wednesday), so far, nothing. It’s red tide, I’m pretty sure.”

Ibasfalean, who has crabbed most of his life, said he has seen worse years. But this year, crabbers had to sail north to Clearwater and Tarpon Springs to find waters clear of red tide.

Read the full story at The Bradenton Herald

Shipwrecks may help tropical fish adapt to climate change

May 10, 2019 — When Chris Taylor presses play, footage of blue wrasse and greater amberjack fills the screen. The fish whirl and spin against a vivid backdrop of corals, sponges, and algae. When Taylor, an ecologist at NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science in Beaufort, North Carolina, asks visitors to the Centers where they think the video was taken, he’s not surprised to hear the Florida Keys or the Caribbean. But the guesses are invariably wrong.

“These highly structured reefs are right off our coast,” Taylor says. “There are all of these brightly colored fishes that defy expectations.”

A new study in Nature Communications Biology by Taylor and Avery Paxton, a marine ecologist who divides her time between NOAA and the Duke University Marine Laboratory, shows artificial deepwater reefs off the coast of North Carolina increased the number of tropical and subtropical fishes at the northern edge of their ranges. These findings have important implications for fishes in warming waters. As ocean temperatures rise, artificial reefs may facilitate the movement of these species towards the poles, where they may be able to find a habitat that is more suitable in the future.

Read the full story at National Geographic

May 1st Triggers Opening of Shallow-Water Grouper and Other Species in the South Atlantic

April 26, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Spring is in the air – and that means fishing! Beginning May 1st, fishermen will have a few more species to target in South Atlantic federal waters (greater than 3 miles off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida). May 1st marks the beginning of the shallow-water grouper season, following the annual spawning season closure from January 1st through April 30th.

Regulations also change for red porgy, greater amberjack, snowy grouper, and several other species.

Check out the latest blog for more details.

Always Have the Latest Regulations with You!

Before heading offshore, download the Fish Rules mobile application. Then simply check for updates before your next fishing trip and you’ll have the information with you no matter how far your fishing trip takes you. No signal? No problem. None required to access the correct information once the app is updated.

Fish Rules Download:
iPhone or
Android

Questions? Contact Cameron Rhodes, Outreach Specialist at cameron.rhodes@safmc.net or Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer at kim.iverson@safmc.net or call the Council Office at 843/224-7258.

SeaWorld Publishes Decades of Orca Data to Help Wild Whales

April 23, 2019 — The endangered killer whales of the Pacific Northwest live very different lives from orcas in captivity.

They swim up to 100 miles (161 kilometers) a day in pursuit of salmon, instead of being fed a steady diet of baitfish and multivitamins. Their playful splashing awes and entertains kayakers and passengers on Washington state ferries instead of paying theme park customers.

But the captive whales are nevertheless providing a boon to researchers urgently trying to save wild whales in the Northwest.

SeaWorld, which displays orcas at its parks in California, Texas and Florida, has recently published data from thousands of routine blood tests of its killer whales over two decades, revealing the most comprehensive picture yet of what a healthy whale looks like. The information could guide how and whether scientists intervene to help sick or stranded whales in the wild.

Read the full story at NBC Washington

Maryland officials join opposition to offshore seismic tests

April 22, 2019 — Maryland officials have joined a host of congressmen in opposing the Trump administration’s plan to start underwater seismic testing along the Atlantic coast, operations that could lead to increased domestic production of oil and gas, but also could be harmful to marine animals.

The offshore seismic testing would be part of oil and gas exploration from Florida up the East Coast to Delaware, including the coast of Maryland.

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh and eight other attorneys general joined as parties to a lawsuit aimed at stopping the testing, which they said would subject marine creatures such as whales, porpoises, and dolphins to extremely loud sounds.

Read the full story at WTOP